Take the Fight out of the Kid
Chapter Four
'An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind.'- Mahatma Gandhi
I'm not sure how long I was in the dead-end job the Reaper had set up for me, it was horrible hours, and according to him, since I didn't have any schooling it was the best I could do since I couldn't balance numbers or anything- some luck with having a class A license, right?
"Well, then give me a class B and I'll get some schooling done too!" I'd given him that riot a lot and I knew that it was wearing him thin, but he still wouldn't budge, he said I made enough to go to school, but I didn't make enough to support two people and go to school so my hands were tied- plus he never considered my hours sucked worse then my pay.
The one bedroom apartment was much easier on my budget, but Roxas still needed things like clothes, and shoes, I still needed clothes and shoes. I let out a groan from the post office as I stuck the key to my mailbox into the slot and pulled out the three letters: my satellite bill, my phone bill, and my check that would most likely not cover both bills, rent and food.
I rolled my shoulders as I walked down the street, all the stuff I needed in the messenger bag that my newest boss had insist I use for all my items. "Excuse me son, but would you happened to know where I could find a young boy by the name of Axel O'Riley?" my eyes went wide and I turned around so I was looking into acid green eyes.
I shivered once I realized that the two sets of acid green eyes belonged to the two most known Leaches in all of BC: most people called them 'the Things'.
"I wouldn't know… who is that?" I kept my bag clutched to my side and kept walking, making sure that nothing was in my way and if it was that I pushed the 'something' to the side.
"Yeah, he's about five feet tall, got red hair like a fire truck, green eyes, and he's always glaring." I shrugged my shoulders and just kept walking. The Things had been bugging me for the last few days, telling me that if I just went to work for the Grimm that all my money troubles would be over and I'd have enough to keep paying for Roxas too, that I could even send him to school and get a schooling of my own. But I knew what and who the Grimm was, and I refused to go into that line of work. I could handle being called a tosser, but actually being one, that was an unthinkable suggestion to a proud Irish citizen such as myself.
"Sorry, I don't know anyone who looks like that to be honest." a hand came down on my shoulder and I spun around, punching my free hand into the Things stomach while the other smacked the side of my head and I dropped my bag for the fight.
Arms and legs were thrown everywhere on my part, either blocking attacks or attacking. Three minutes in and they let me go and took a few steps back.
"Bring it ya fuckin' bitches! I've had a really bad day and I want some stupid-ass to kick the shit out of. So which one of you is first?" I hadn't noticed until that point that they both had broken noses and were holding various parts of their bodies.
"Just remember kid… the Grimm's offer is still standing; his door is always open to good boys like you." the Things gave me a smirk and nothing else before turning and leaving.
At least fifteen of those encounters since I started working, how the hell could I remember how many times they'd approached me but I couldn't remember how long I'd been actually working? God, my head was so messed with what to do and how to do it.
I wasn't stupid, I knew I couldn't really count on Roxas getting a good class of license since- to be frank -he was kind of slow and very innocent. I hadn't helped by shielding him from that kind of information, but he was just too innocent for the small things like that.
"Axel! You're home!" I was tackled once I walked through the door and pushed against it because I was taken by surprise. "I'm so happy!" I was confused as to why he'd be so happy by my return since I hadn't been gone longer then normal.
"Uh… alright. I'm happy I'm home too?" his arms were still around my neck and his face obscured from my view.
"You've been out longer then normal!" no I wasn't. I waited a moment before looking up at the clock, I was three minutes late because of the stupid- oh, the Things. He must have seen that happen down in the street from the balcony, did he sit there all day watching the clock for me?
"Well, I'm sorry… I had a bit of business to take care of."
"Wh-what about those guys down in the street?"
"Nothing to worry about." Roxas let me go and I let out a sigh of relief as I was allowed to breathe again, I was completely botched and just wanted to sleep. "Hey, I'm going to turn in early, I've had a long day." my boss had had me running all over the city for him doing odd things and my legs hurt.
"Oh, alright… do you want me to make you… anything?" I stopped, realizing that he was still horrible in the kitchen.
"Uh, no, I'll make some food first. What do you want?"
"Um, can we just have something really easy?"
"Alright, actually, there are hot dogs in the fridge, buns on the counter… I'll let you do it Roxas, I'm just too tired. But let me know when you come to bed alright?" Roxas nod his head in agreement and I vanished into the bedroom and changed into my boxers and tank top before passing out.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Four more months, the Things bugged me constantly and my head pounded and legs throbbed. Every day I woke up before five in the morning, ran around until seven at night, then hopped on a train and came home to Roxas trying his best at cooking- he was actually getting good.
Unfortunately the small trust I'd built up while working for Mr. Skellington was dwindling and I was really out of money, and no matter what job Roxas got, we'd have to move back into a one room house with a communal bathroom again.
"So Axel… do you know what day it is tomorrow?" I knew exactly what Roxas was suggesting, but I had nothing special for his birthday to give him… the one time of the year I always made sure was special for him and I had nothing to give him since I had to work and there was no way out of it.
"No… what's tomorrow."
"It's only my favorite day of the whole year!" he looked so happy, too happy since it just made that statement actually sting as I heard it.
"Really? Since when does Christmas come in October?" now in October I had heard from a bunch of stories and books that most kids would be screaming about Halloween, but that tradition had stopped a long time before either of us were born, one of those things that just died out over time in our new world I guess.
"No… common, you know what I'm talking about. Don't make me say it." he smiled at me and I just winked, knowing he'd say it anyhow.
"I really don't know what your talking about Roxas… is it important?" I raised an eyebrow and let out an exasperated sigh before flopping down onto the bed beside me.
"It's my birthday! Surprise!" Roxas gave me a wide smile and I returned it, wondering what to do for the special occasion that night since he'd be whisked off to the Reapers Palace the next day.
"So, for the occasion do you want to go to the park and hang out for the night, or just hang out here?"
"I wouldn't mind staying in… to be honest I think I might go for a walk on my own. I uh, have to think of a few things." I raised an eyebrow but stood up as it were.
"Don't worry about it, I have to go check the mail, I'll be back in a few hours… do you want me to make dinner before I go?" Roxas shook his head and I nod in return before stuffing my hands into my pockets and turning to the door and heading out. His attitude had never changed that much before, not like being bipolar at least.
The streets were filled with people, some kids stilled carved pumpkins but other then that and dressing up to look stupid, Halloween had really turned into an adult thing. Women would go into clothing stores and come out with skimpy outfits, then they'd go home and spend the day or night with their husbands or boyfriends.
"Hey Axel… what're you doing out here all on your lonesome?" I stopped and turned my head to the right to see only one of the Things; Vexen, walking towards me. His long blonde hair was down over his shoulders in three precise locks, two in front of his shoulders on either side of his head, the third being the rest of his hair behind his back.
"Fuck off." I clenched my fists in the pockets of the white blazer I'd gotten back at the Reapers Palace almost a year before, I hadn't worn the outfit since my last day there to going for my walk to give Roxas privacy. My fingers brushed something in the left pocket and I wrapped my fingers around it, trying to figure out what it was.
"Awe, don't be like that Axel… I just wanted to talk. The Grimm has been very curious about you…even lady Jenn has been asking about you recently." my blood ran cold at that moment; Jenn, how the hell could she remember me? The one person I didn't want to remember me did? Life hated me, better yet; the world hated me. Vexen walked faster to make it to my side as I walked, trying my best to not touch him in the slightest as I walked.
"So, you remember lady Jenn… she has so many questions for you Axel. One of them being why you haven't even TRIED to talk to her. She almost broke down into tears last night because of it." I raised an eyebrow and looked at the other green eyed person with a glare.
"And why should I care? I don't need her around."
"You see… you don't get a choice anymore Axel. Around the next corner is a few people who are going to tell you a few things, and you really should listen to what they have to say." my eyes went wide and I tried to stop in my tracks, but something hitting my back brought me to the realization that I was surrounded by fairly large adult men, and that I wasn't getting an option.
I was ushered around the corner despite the fact I'd tried to dodge around the people and slide between the tall men's legs, but nothing worked and before I knew it I was stuffed into the back of a car. "Oi! Let me out!" I made for the door but it slammed shut, to my surprise the car didn't start to move right away.
"Axel, calm down… we're not going anywhere, I promise you." I froze since I hadn't noticed that someone else was in the back of the vehicle. I slowly turned my head to the side and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped at who I saw: this man had been on the news a few times as Xemnas, but he was more commonly called the Grimm. "Just remain calm and listen to us for a moment please."
My eyes darted to the other two people in the back of the vehicle: a blue haired man with an X scar on his face, his eyes were a piercing amber. And a girl who looked younger then me; short blonde hair slicked back with gel and two wisps flying back, the brightest pair of aqua eyes I'd seen since Jenn.
"You obviously seem to know who I am, so lets get right down to this Axel: I want you to come work for me- and before you interrupt I'll give you some conditions or terms I think you'll find wonderful for your needs." I remained silent since I couldn't speak, my throat was far too dry for even attempting speech I sat down, my back to a corner so I could keep an eye on all of them and a glare on my face.
"I am willing to give you fifteen percent of everything you earn doing business, and since I will buy all of your food, take care of all your medical, and even give you adequate lodging. This isn't a deal I make to all my employees though, you will be allowed certain privileges as well." that all sounded well and dandy for a Kicker, but I wasn't about to be one of those. If I wasn't around how the hell would I be able to take care of Roxas? I knew he wasn't going to get a good job from the Reaper, and if the Reaper really wanted me to be the next, why the hell did he put me in a shitty job so I'd have no other options, because unless I wanted to put both Roxas and I out on the street, this offer is one I'd have to take.
"Now, before you go thinking that fifteen percent is going to be a horrible sum, I'll show you how much a boy around your age makes in the business, and how much fifteen percent of that is." I glared at Xemnas as he scrawled out a few numbers on a piece of paper and then handed it to me, and my jaw dropped seeing the sum of numbers just in the fifteen percent section.
Most boys my age were paid twenty gold coin an hour, and since there weren't a lot of boys my age in the business that made it all the better, but fifteen percent didn't sound good enough for me to be honest, he'd been after me for years. I had to take the job, I knew that… but I could make negotiations of my own couldn't I?
My skin crawled as I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off. "You know, we've also had our eyes on the cutest little British blonde, he lives fairly close, I'm sure you know him. Does the name Roxas Michaels ring a bell for you, Axel? Because I'm sure he'll have very few options. Oh, so many people would pay for him though, imagine it Saïx, how many people do we have in our lists that give their right arm for a piece of that." I watched as he looked over to the blue haired man and I saw the blonde girl smile evilly.
"You know what Xemnas, we shouldn't be wasting our time with this kid, why don't we just go right to the source and get the blonde?"
"I'll do it! But I have conditions!" Xemnas looked over with the widest shit-eating grin I'd ever seen and I wanted to rip it right off his face. I'm not too sure how long I waited before giving my conditions, but I had to think everything out clearly: Irish accents were harder to come by then British, red hair was more exotic then blonde (Especially my shade of red), green eyes were harder to come by then blue. In the looks department I was winning out over Roxas in all honesty, but my will to say no was stronger then his would ever be and he'd be lost in a Boggle. I wanted enough money for Roxas to go to school and not have to worry about working himself, and I wanted to make sure they NEVER went after him. If I could do all this and make him safe too, then I could die satisfied.
"Really? Well Axel, name your price and we'll match it." Xemnas reminded me in that moment of a mountain lion, his amber eyes almost daring me to go over the top with my conditions.
"I want twenty percent for starters." he glared a bit but nod his head anyhow "I want my own room, none of this 'sharing space' I've heard about, and I want a four poster bed." Xemnas nod his head again and I took a deep breath to keep going on. "I want some kind of access to education, I refuse to be a stupid whore." Xemnas nod his head.
"Of course, Vexen will teach you himself. He is one of the brightest minds in-"
"No, I don't want a pervert to do it and I don't want to have to screw my teacher." Xemnas glared and folded his arms over his chest.
"You wont have to service him- ever -but he will be your teacher if you want one. Lessons will be done in a localized area of the house and you will not be alone in a room with him, are those fine conditions?"
"Alright, their good enough. My last condition is one I want in writing though: you will NEVER go after Roxas. He will remain untouched by your grubby hands- literal or metaphorical. He will never be pulled into one of your Boggles and you will never pursue him again."
Xemnas took a lot longer to respond this time, the blonde girl who I still didn't know the name of had fallen asleep long before he spoke, and I could tell that even Saïx was starting to get really tired. The sun had risen a while ago and I even started to guess that Roxas had gone with the Collectors already for the Reapers Palace.
"I suppose those are fair enough terms… though you could have worded the last one better. I under stand that I am to leave him alone yet call him my property if others try to pursue him?" I nod my head and he let out a sigh, opening his eyes after the long time they'd been closed. "I agree to your terms Axel… but we'll have to give you another name I suppose."
"No, I want to keep my name." changing it again would just be too much of a hassle and I really didn't need more of a hassle. "Am I allowed to go home for an hour to gather my things?"
"Of course… Luxord will go with you though, he'll be your respected Wolf… and when I say respected I mean your not to disrespect him. He will not touch you though, I promise." I clenched my jaw and nod my head as I crawled out of the car.
"Oh, and one other thing Xemnas… if I learn that Roxas gets into anything like this, I'll take my reconciliation payment in your blood." Xemnas just smiled as I slammed the door shut and watched the car silently pull out of the alley.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
It was so early in the morning that rarely any people were out, but I didn't miss the black Bentley that drove down the street, Roxas' face in the window, brightening when he saw me standing at the mouth of the alley. Tears wanted to come to my eyes when I saw him start to hit the window and yell, but what he was yelling I didn't hear as I watched the car go down the street before turning.
"So… I'm guessing that was Roxas?" I turned my head to the side and looked up at the tall blonde man, his hair was cropped short and he had a goatee, as well as a piercing in his left ear, he looked bored but at the same time I could see the sympathy in his face.
"None of your business, how long do I have before I have to be wherever?" I stuffed my hands back into my pockets and pulled out that thing I'd gotten a year before in the envelope from the Reaper. It looked like a necklace, two red Chakrams on the end and my eyes went wide as I saw the circular disks: they had been a matching set my parents wore back in Ireland: how he got them I had no idea, but I wanted to suddenly make his head roll.
I grabbed one to check for the inscription and there it was: Love is the eternal fire. I grabbed the other and finished the phrase they'd split between them: That burns in every human.
My parents had been completely optimistic about the world, and that people were good. But they never really left our village in Ireland, so they wouldn't really have known.
I turned towards my apartment building, putting the chain around my neck and starting the walk that I didn't want to take. Luxord remained silent and I figured he'd just let me know when we had to leave. I didn't even want to try and run away since Roxas was in with the Reaper.
I put my key into the front door and allowed Luxord to follow me inside, the elevator ride was quiet and I decided to ignore my neighbors as they tried to talk to me, asking who Luxord was.
I opened the apartment door with a loud creak as always and walked inside, ushering Luxord in behind me and pointing to the kitchen. "I don't have any where to really sit, but there is a counter in the kitchen." I walked right into the bedroom and grabbed out my backpack before starting to stuff it with my clothes. My nerves were on end as I packed up, making sure that I had my parents picture and the stuffed animal they'd given me. For a few minutes I stood in the fairly empty living room, trying to remember where a paper and pen where so I could leave Roxas some kind of note. "Think, think, think…where did I- oh! The kitchen!"
My feet moved quickly into the kitchen and I grabbed the thick notepad with multi colored papers and the pen. "Leaving a note?"
"That seems to be what it looks like, doesn't it?" I set the pad down in front of me and let out a sigh, trying to think of what to write him. I tossed the pen down beside the pad and ground my teeth together as I turned away from it and ran my hands through my hair.
"Care to just explain to him what's going on? Or would you rather just cut all ties?"
"Hell no! I'm not cutting my ties with him, if anything I'm going to break into the Reapers Palace and say goodbye." I turned so I could see Luxord and he just nod his head. He seemed to be a vary calm man, always having his arms crossed over his chest or a pack of playing cards that looked personalized in his hands.
"Then… tell him what's going on. That your doing this for him." I raised an eyebrow at him as I hopped up into the counter beside the notepad and pen, trying to decipher what he meant and how he knew that I did it to keep Roxas safe. "Please, it's no secret. The minute you walk through the doors to the Boggle you'll already be a hero. Xemnas has been trying to get his claws into you since Halifax, unfortunately… he found Roxas and a loophole. He finds weaknesses is everyone, and he digs his claws into the weaknesses. Most people are in Boggles because they're addicted, or because they have no other options and figure it's a way to keep on living. But you; you are the first person, going into that Boggle because you are in love with someone and you're not letting them get hurt. You're the first who's not being selfish."
I looked at Luxord, seeing that he was looking right at me, his fairly light blue eyes holding sorrow that I couldn't tell the origin of.
"I have to write this letter." I ground my teeth together and slid off the counter and picked up the pen again. The words were coming out of my head faster then they could be written down, but I'm pretty sure I got my message across:
'Dear Roxas, I'm sorry about this, but I wont be coming back. I'm going away to make some money, I'll send it to the mail box when I get it for you. You've already promised me that you'd accept any gift I gave you, so don't reject it! There are a few things I want you to do with it though: go to school. Promise me you'll go get an education- and a damn good one. No matter what class of license you come back with. Another thing is I want you to move somewhere nicer and more comfortable, there should be more then enough for you to live off of it and go to school at the same time, but I'm begging you, more then anything, to stay safe.
'I'm sure that in the Reapers Palace you've had to deal with your brother, and I'm sorry for the fact that I'm not here to support you and make you feel better- I should be and there is no forgiving that. But I have just one more thing to tell you Roxas: I love you. And I don't mean as a little brother or as a friend, I am in love with you. There might be a day when I'll be able to come back, but I make no promises.' I let out a sigh as I finished writing, I set the pen down and rubbed the back of my neck and head to calm myself.
My hands fumbled and shook as I put the letter into an envelope and sealed it shut. "So… are you ready to go?" I looked over at Luxord and steeled myself once I remembered he was there.
"I was born ready." I grabbed my bag and set the envelope on the counter, glad that the black envelope contrast so well with the white counter top. I debated for a moment on setting my cell phone down, on the counter, I stood there holding it for a moment before Luxord took it and set it down on top of the envelope.
"Xemnas will just take it when you get there. So there is no point in giving him hope." I just shrugged and left it there, even though I wanted to cry and grab it again. "I know how you feel, but it's better to just cut ties and leave." Luxords voice sounded far off as I moved towards the front door. But I wasn't cutting my ties, I was loosening them sure, but that letter, what I was going to do with the money, what I told Roxas; that wasn't cutting ties that was trying to keep them, wasn't it?
As soon as the door was locked and closed, I slid the key under the door and let out a deep breath I'd been holding in. I already missed him, writing those words in that letter killed me, every letter had killed me a little more so as I walked down the fairly dingy hallway with Luxord behind me I felt completely numb. And numb was just what I wanted.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The car ride had been long, but the windows were as black at night making it impossible to see anything outside. For a while I knew where we were but I soon lost it and just sat back in the seat, flipping through the hard rock radio stations until Luxord got a call and the radio was turned off. "Sorry… Xemnas' orders."
"So… what's yer back story? Why are you so sympathetic towards me?" Luxord just gave a sidelong smile as he flipped a few cards onto the small table in the back compartment of the car.
"I am whatever you want me to be. I was a behavior specialist, if I feel like you need someone to be sympathetic then I'll be that person, if you need someone to be cold, I'll be cold."
"Well… then you've read me wrong. I don't need friends, I was better off without them." Luxord just scoffed before tossing another card down.
"No you don't, you need one. And it'll be me, that's how Xemnas wants it."
"Just because Xemnas wants something, doesn't mean he's going to get it you know."
"Really? Then tell me: why did he get you?" I glared at him before just allowing myself to fall silent, crossing my arms over my chest and closed my eyes so I could just relax and maybe catch a few winks of shut eye. "You haven't answered me yet."
"I'm not going to answer you, unless a fist in your face counts."
"Fair enough, but for the record: I grew up in this lifestyle. I've had no choice but to live this way my whole life. I've been a Wolf since I was ten."
"Why'd that be?"
"Because I was sold into it. My parents needed cash, they figured sending me to the Grimm was the best and easiest way to get it." I just raised an eyebrow, not really caring if he went on or not.
"Hey Axel, wake up." I flinched awake when a hand was clenched on my shoulder and I was shaken. I thrust my fist out and it made contact right away with Luxord's jaw. "Ow! Fuck! What the bloody hell was that for?"
"Oh… sorry." I was groggy as I rubbed at my eyes, but the glass of the car's windows was clear again and all I could see was that we were somewhere with a lot of green. "Wh-where are we?"
"The Boggle to which you'll be staying. I'm sure that Xemnas will give you the rules of the house later, if not I'll give them to you tonight." I nod my head and followed him out of the back seat, making sure that my bag was clutched to my chest so I kept everything with me.
"Luxord, Xemnas wants to see you and Axel in the drawing room right now. I'll take his bags to his-"
"No. I'm keeping it with me."
"Alright. Luxord knows the way." Saïx jabbed his thumb behind him and allowed Luxord and I to walk towards the house.
It was completely deserted as Luxord lead the way through the house, for a moment I almost expected for people to stop me and strip me so they could remake me again, but they didn't. Luxord walked into the room and sat down in a chair in the corner of the room and I sat down across from Xemnas who was seated in his huge leather chair.
"So, Axel… I'm guessing your wondering what's going to be going on."
"Not really. I understand the gist of what happens in Boggles, I might be a kid, but I'm not stupid." he just smirked a bit and wove his fingers together before placing his hand under his chin, an evil expression on his face.
"Well then… I suppose we should discuss a very important thing: your first customer." my entire body froze as I gave Xemnas an icy glare as he pulled out a binder and smacked it down on the desk in front of him. "Your clients can start off coming out of this book until you become able to find your own clients… but as for your first client, there is a man who has informed us that he'd pay very high to be your first client."
I could feel a grip like ice holding me and I shivered, just hoping that I'd be able to block the experience out of my mind. "I assure you that the gentleman isn't odd in the slightest, he's actually been a customer of mine for a while, so he is one of those people I would trust with a first night. So you go with Luxord and get all cleaned up, he'll give you the general rules of the house and then you'll meet your first customer." the smile on his face made me want to take it all back, if I was going to be stuck around perverted men the rest of my life for just one moment, I thought I'd rather die. The thought of Roxas stopped all of that though, and I just stood up and followed Luxord out of the drawing room that looked more like an office.
AN:
Me: wow… this chapter was probably a little darker then I usually do, but the next chapter is even more so.
Axel: holly shit… you just made me a whore! No amount of having an accent that you don't even write in can make up for that Elizabeth!
Roxas: oooooohhhh, he used your full name, he must be mad.
Me: I don't care, because if he's got a big problem with it, I'll kill him and give the story to someone else.
Axel: you wouldn't do that, you love me too much.
Me: I might not kill you… but I'll switch to Roxas' point of view- and don't think I wont.
Axel: YOU MADE ME A WHORE! How am I supposed to deal with that?
Me: on your back with your legs spread?
Axel: I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!
Me: but you cant… you're really just a pigment of my imagination.
Sora: I'm going to cut in while they duke it out- though I'm sure you'd all love to hear that -thank you for reading and we'd all love to hear what you have to say. So, drop a review and have a good day!